The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Final Fantasy VIIand even Person 5 all of which are some of the best AAA and mass-selling RPGs of all time. No one can dispute how they hold up and what they contribute to the genre as a whole. Unfortunately, AAA RPGs can overpower smaller RPGs that are sometimes even better.
8 Turn-Based RPGs That Are Bonafide 10/10 Masterpieces
These classic turn-based RPGs strike a perfect 10/10 balance between their stories and gameplay.
As for these AA RPGs, most of which were originally featured on portables, they help prove that money isn't everything. Strong ideas are often the king of games like this Golden sun and Wild weapons 3. Let's rank these RPGs based on stories, combat, how well they hold up, and overall quality.
Place 9 games in the grid.
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10
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth
Diving into cyberspace
Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth belongs to the better ones Digimon games that finally created a compelling story and combat system to rival Pokemon. Hired by a detective agency, players will investigate a series of crimes in cyberspace that disrupt the real world.
Players gain partner Digimon and can recruit and evolve new ones as they go through dungeons. It's a basic turn-based system, but unique monsters, cyberspace designs, and an evolving storyline will keep players engaged.
9
Indivisible
Metroidvania Mashup
Indivisible is a 2D RPG starring Ajna, who has the unique ability to store dead spirits in her mind to summon them in battle, kind of like Persona in Persona series. Exploration is kind of like a Metroidvania, as Ajna will gain new abilities throughout the game to go deeper into dungeons.
When enemies attack, things switch to a turn-based system where each of the four party members will be assigned a face button. It's a hodgepodge of ideas that blend well together, and Unbreakable's art is arguably its best feature.
8
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
Rings of Judgment
Shadow Hearts: Covenant
- Released
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September 27, 2004
Shadow Hearts: Covenant is an alternate reality turn-based RPG inspired by the First World War. As a ragtag group of heroes, including a puppeteer and a vampire wrestler, players must prevent the war from spiraling out of control due to supernatural influences.
It's a bizarre story, but compelling in its silliness, plus the combat system is more active than most PS2 RPGs of the time. Each character had a Judgment Ring that could deal additional damage to enemies when timed perfectly.
7
Wild weapons 3
A Wild West RPG
Wild weapons is a niche series that Sony has been supporting for some time that has western influences Wild weapons 3 being the most blatant example. Players could choose to start the game as one of the four characters, but the order did not matter, as after each intro, the game would continue as normal and the four heroes would merge as one.
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Battles took ammo into account as each character had a weapon and characters and enemies ran between rounds to mimic the feel of a western gunfight. There were even battles on horseback, so overall Wild weapons 3 is a very cool western that happens to be an RPG.
6
Golden sun
The sun is in your hand
Golden sun was a Game Boy Advance RPG that became a small franchise for Nintendo. The combat system was well animated with large sprites and flashy attacks, making it stand out from almost every RPG on the system.
The combat was great, but the dungeons were also more involved than a lot of RPGs of the era, with players gaining psychic powers to use to solve puzzles. One example is using a force push to move a pillar to a location that makes the monotony of dungeons more engaging, and these are just a few examples of why Golden sun still rules.
5
Brilliant history
A Chrono Trigger in all but name
Brilliant history it was released first on the DS before getting a 3DS port. Regardless of the version, the story and gameplay are the same, it involves a soldier, Stocke, who has the ability to travel through time after almost dying.
Players will have to solve problems in the past to make areas safer in the present, and sometimes these puzzles can be difficult to solve. Time travel plays no part in combat, but it's also unique as players can use attacks to move and group enemies to damage them more effectively, creating a more engaging sense of strategy.
4
Brave Default: Flying Fairy
Sold on Jobs
Brave Default: Flying Fairy is a Final Fantasy game in all but name and with a less impressive budget in both the 3DS and Switch 2 versions. Players will command four characters, explore the world map, delve into dungeons and rescue elemental crystals from a domineering kingdom that seeks to gain their power.
Defeating bosses earns players new classes, called Jobs, and multi-classing between them can create powerful combos in turn-based battles. The music is some of the best on the 3DS, the art style is charming, and the Job system ranks among the best Square Enix has ever produced.
3
Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends Of The Titan
Challenging but rewarding
Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan is one of the hardest RPGs on the 3DS, but also one of the most rewarding. Players can create a group of five adventures from a group of several classes before venturing into the labyrinth. Instead of the Labyrinth being one big interconnected dungeon, players can cruise the world map outside to take on other dungeons, and mapping out the details of those dungeons is still a must.
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Fight challenging battles, level up and earn skill points in return to further strengthen characters. Etrian Odyssey 4: Legends of the Titan is a turn-based RPG designed for players who like exploration and combat instead of story.
2
Final Fantasy Tactics
A spinoff that got bigger
Final Fantasy Tacticslike most spinoffs in the series, it was intended to be a smaller experience without flashy cutscenes. The result created one of the most popular entries in the series thanks to its darker tone, Ivalice world-building, and tactical combat. In battle, players could choose multiple characters to take part in, each moving around a grid.
Characters could be assigned Jobs, such as Time Mage, Chemist, and Dragoon, and multi-classing with each of them was engrossing. Between the PS1 original and the improved recent remaster, Final Fantasy Tactics is a must in the franchise.
1
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Definition of AA
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 it looks, sounds, and plays like a triple-A RPG, but with a double-A budget, which makes it fascinating. It was the first game from French studio Sandfall Interactive, which makes it even more impressive.
Set in a desolate world full of bloodshed, an unlikely group of heroes band together to stop an evil witch from killing generations every year. The music is excellent, the combat counter system is deeply engaging, and the overall story has a good balance of drama and lightness. Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is proof that talent and style can overcome outrageous budgets.
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